Something to Prove
by FanFicDestroyer4
Summary: Samus' days at the Galactic Federation are revealed, including her first big mission, how she got her Power Suit, and the events that drove her to become an independent bounty hunter. Rated T for some mild violence.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note**: This is the first fanfic I started, but it took a while to finish. I am completely done with the rough draft, so any delay in posting chapters is just from me finishing up the final draft. As you should all know, Metroid belongs to Nintendo, not me. PLEASE feel free to give me critique/comments. I love them because they help me grow as a writer. Hopefully someone will enjoy this, because I sure enjoyed writing it. :)

* * *

My past left me with an uneasy soul. I tried my best to suppress it, but I should have known I would have had to confront it eventually. I would not always be able to hide behind the suit I wore.

It was Anthony's words when he first saw me on the BOTTLESHIP that called back my past. Then I saw Adam. His face, as if frozen in its constantly serious expression, pierced my heart. My days at the Galactic Federation flooded through me. 

* * *

This is a REALLY short prologue, but I thought it was best to keep the Other M stuff to a minimum and just allow it to set the story up.

**Chapter 1 Preview**

Samus remembers the distant memories of her past. She had joined the Galactic Federation in order to help save others, much as she had been saved as a child, but things are not what she expected when she is put under the command of Adam Malkovich.


	2. Chapter 1: A New Life

**Author's Note**: This is the first fanfic I started, but it took a while to finish. I am completely done with the rough draft, so any delay in posting chapters is just from me finishing up the final draft. As you should all know, Metroid belongs to Nintendo, not me. PLEASE feel free to give me critique/comments. I love them because they help me grow as a writer. Hopefully someone will enjoy this, because I sure enjoyed writing it. :)

* * *

I had joined the Galactic Federation Police when I was a teenager. I didn't want the Chozo to feel obligated to support me, so I thought of a job as a new beginning. It would be my chance to help those in need much as I had been helped. My parents had given their lives so that I could live. I thought it would be easy, and only fair, for me to do the same.

While some of the Chozo questioned my choice, Old Bird gave his sound assurance that I had great potential. I had spent much of my childhood training with them, and was even blessed enough to be given the gift of some of their own DNA, allowing me to surpass average human skill.

I soon learned that Old Bird was right. I did have potential. Despite my young age, I was able to work my way up the ranks in the Galactic Federation squad with ease. I was never under one's command for more than a month, so I didn't bother trying to bond with the others. They didn't seem to have much interest in a young orphan girl, and I was too focused on my training performance to care. Things quickly changed once I was eventually promoted all the way into Adam Malkovich's unit.

Adam himself appeared at first to be like all the other commanding officers. He always kept the best posture, arms held behind his back as he walked, presenting orders with an expressionless face. He expected the most out of everyone and gave criticism when he needed to. I expected all officers to be constantly serious, lacking any emotions that truly make us human. And yet, when he finished my first mission briefing under his command, he turned to me and, with a slight smile breaking out on the corner of his face, asked, "Any objections, lady?"

We were supposed to give a thumbs-up as a sign of understanding after a briefing, but his words caught me off guard. I was the only woman under his command, and although I could tell he was joking, I gave him my first thumbs down. It was my way of letting him know that I understood his orders, but that I would not be restrained by being a "lady".

The man next to me seemed amused by my thumbs down during the briefing. After our mission, he approached me, asking, "So you're the new kid here, huh?"

"I'm Samus Aran," I said, not much in the mood to talk.

"Anthongy Higgs," he replied, holding out his hand for me to shake. "You might not have had much training here before you got pushed out on your first mission, but you did a good job."

I was not expecting his compliment. "Thank you," I responded.

"Don't sweat it. And hey, if you ever need help with anything, let me know. It's great to see some women in the higher ranks. We need more of them willing to fight alongside the guys if you ask me, but you've got strength, kid."

I couldn't help but smile, and I tried to turn my head to hide it.

"Sorry if I embarrassed you. I didn't mean anything by it. I guess I'll see you later then, ay Princess?"

I had lost my words, but nodded to him as he left.

* * *

The next day, I took my spot next to Anthony again.

"Hey, Princess. How've you been?" he asked.

"Great," I replied. I was well rested and prepared for a good day.

I had expected our training to continue the same as it had before, but it became apparent to me how most of the other men treated me. While they bore smiles and gave me a hand, they obviously saw me as inferior. I was young and had much yet to learn, but they went as easy as they could on me. Some refused to deal with me at all in fear of hurting me. I knew my skills were far underestimated, and that I would not be able to improve them with how the men treated me. Some also referred to me strictly as "lady", as if mocking Adam's words behind his back. Even Anthony, while not intentionally hurtful himself, chuckled at some of their jokes that left me in dismay. I started to wonder if joining the Galactic Federation Police Force was a mistake, but then someone stood up for me.

He looked to be only a few years older than myself, and initially seemed to be the kind of man who would only be serious when he had to be. "Let her do her job, guys," he told them. "She can do just fine without you belittling her." He turned to me and gave me a smile. Something in his eyes felt reassuring.

The men slowly started to let me in on things, but still treated me as a young child. I pushed myself to do as much as I could to get their attention, and found myself disagreeing with some of the training results, believing that things could have been done better. I eagerly waited for the next mission so I could prove to them I wasn't weak. The day before we received it, Adam called me to his office to discuss something.

He sat in his large, open office in full uniform, hands folded on his desk with his typical serious expression. An entire wall of his office was a window overlooking the training grounds. I was lost in my mind as I gazed out of it until he told me, "Please sit down, Samus." When I did, I felt uncomfortable looking at him directly in the eye since we were sitting at the same level.

"You come from K-2L, right?" he asked, looking over a document on his desk.

"Yes," I responded.

He scanned through the rest of the document before pushing it to the side. "May I ask why you chose to join the Galactic Federation?"

My reasons were clear to me when I left the Chozo at Zebes, but they left me when Adam asked about them. I finally answered, "I feel it is my duty to protect others as repayment for the help I received when I was a child."

"Samus, your reasoning seems admirable. I will not try to pretend I understand how you felt when you lost your home, and I hope you will become successful here. However, I can't help but realize that you have a savior mentality. I must warn you that it is not always possible to save everyone. It is never easy to recognize, but you mustn't allow it to destroy you. If I warn you of this now, it might save you from a lot of pain later. We work together in groups because we cannot do everything on our own. We all have our weaknesses and strengths. As for the other men in the unit, I will make sure to see that you are given proper treatment. It is my duty to keep everyone under my command unified, so I will do whatever I can to help you."

I did not know how to respond other than give him a nod to let him know I was listening.

"And I apologize if my calling you 'lady' was hurtful to you. I did not intend it to be so."

"No, it wasn't," immediately came out of my mouth. I looked back up at Adam, who was smiling again. I felt a bit better. It was also then that I noticed he kept two photographs on his desk. One was a couple at their wedding, presumably his parents, but the other one had two boys in it. The younger boy was sitting in the foreground with a large bandage on his face, while the older one was resting his arm on the younger one's head and laughing in the background.

Adam noticed that my attention was fixed to the photograph. "That is my brother Ian and I when we were younger," he said. The older one looked more like Adam, but it was odd to see him in a mood that wasn't serious. It amused me, but his little brother with the large bandage on his face bothered me too. He also seemed familiar, but I couldn't remember from where.

* * *

Hey, everyone. Thanks for reading chapter one. Not much happened in it, so I'm making the second chapter have much more action. Hopefully this story will make a nice switch off between action and character interaction. Hope you enjoy! :)

**Chapter 2 Preview**

Samus is sent on her first big mission. It becomes apparent to her that the Space Pirates are up to no good, and the mission takes a potentially fatal turn when she decides to take matters into her own hands.


	3. Chapter 2: Mission on Jigurad

**Author's Note**: This is the first fanfic I started, but it took a while to finish. I am completely done with the rough draft, so any delay in posting chapters is just from me finishing up the final draft. As you should all know, Metroid belongs to Nintendo, not me. PLEASE feel free to give me critique/comments. I love them because they help me grow as a writer. Hopefully someone will enjoy this, because I sure enjoyed writing it. :)

When Samus is crawling through the grate, I couldn't help but think of Link crawling through tight spaces in _The Wind Waker_. Perhaps this is why she pulls herself along with her forearms. Hmm...

Samus seems fairly happy to get her Galactic Federation Suit. Too bad she only has it for this chapter. Don't worry, Samus. You deserve something better than it anyway. ^_^

THIS WAS THE HARDEST CHAPTER IN THE WHOLE STORY! I still feel like I could improve some parts, because I had to come up with all these reasons for things to happen. Hopefully it's not too far-fetched or anything. :P

* * *

I finally received my own Galactic Federation armor suit the day after my meeting with Adam. It was customized to fit woman, but kept the iconic blue and grey colors and the same helmet. I felt like I blended in well with the other men and was prepared to prove my worth on my next mission.

My second mission was much more intense than my first. We were answering a distress call from the planet Jigurad, which was under attack by Space Pirates. The call was received after most of the destruction was over, and the Galactic Federation feared that it came too late, but there were also concerns about an unstable core in the planet. Fearing what happened to the planet Alinos could also happen to Jigurad, we were sent out to investigate the disturbance and to protect the people.

Upon our arrival, we discovered that the rather small planet had an underground base that the Space Pirates infiltrated. It contained the main source of power for all of Jigurad, and there was much fear among the people that there was something down there that could lead to the destruction of the planet from the inside out. They offered to take us to the base and instruct us about the location of things, but were too afraid to go inside themselves.

We saw no signs of Space Pirates on the surface of the planet. The residents claimed they had taken off. Adam suspected a trap, and was cautious in taking us down to the underground base. We found it was completely dark. All the power was out.

Adam was prepared to break us up into sub-groups to investigate different areas. "Samus, Anthony, and Ian," he called while telling us our duties during his miniature briefing. "You three are to go west and search for the main control room, where you will monitor activities once we get the power back up and running. If you notice anything suspicious, contact me immediately."

The name Ian. I felt slow for only figuring it out then. As I looked over at him, I saw he was the man who stood up for me on the day after our first mission. He was Adam's younger brother.

"And Ian," Adam continued. "Once the power is back, I need you to check all systems there and do any repairs if you see something down."

Ian nodded. "Got it, Commander!"

When everyone split up, Ian approached me. "Hey, Miss Aran, I'm sorry for not introducing myself properly to you before. Hope you don't think I'm a jerk or anything for not doing so. Anyway, I'm Ian Malkovich." He held out his hand and I shook it. A quirky smile broke out on his face.

"Another mission together, ay?" Anthony asked him, giving him a nod of acknowledgement as men often do. Ian gave him one back.

The three of us started to make our way down several corridors, keeping our guns out at the ready. Everything was quiet except for our footsteps on the ground. Finally, we reached a large circular room. Ian scanned through it with a flashlight. The room was filled with computers. "This looks like the control room to me," he said, turning on his communication system to notify Adam that we had reached our location. We stood there for some time before Ian decided to take a more intricate look around. Anthony stood guard at the door while I followed Ian. He gave me the flashlight as he checked the systems and wiring. He seemed concerned.

"These computers all have a backup power source built into them in case of a situation like this. There should be no reason why they won't turn on," he said.

"You think they were purposefully damaged?" I asked him.

"There doesn't appear to be much more of a reason beyond that. Even with the power down, we should be able to get the computers up. They might contain some crucial data, and the cameras might be able to give us a more accurate view of what is going on here. My guess is that the Space Pirates didn't want to take that chance. I'll try to see what I can do about fixing them."

An eerie feeling swept over me as I watched Ian work at the backup power units. I tried to dismiss it as paranoia about my first big mission, but it continued to nag at me. I felt exactly the same way when my planet was attacked by the Space Pirates as a girl, and I was much too young to understand the danger I was in back then.

Ian finished his work and turned to the side of the backup power unit. "Now what have we got here?" he muttered, examining a thick wire protruding from it. He started to follow it.

"Think you got something?" Anthony asked him.

Ian continued to trace the path of the wire, and I followed him with the light. It led him to a grate. "The backup power is connected to something else that it shouldn't be. It's a nasty bugger too. A spark wire. These things can stretch on forever. We're gonna' have to remove it from wherever else it connects to. There's no way we can disconnect it without damaging it here."

"Can we just cut it?" I asked him.

"No," he replied. "If you cut it, it will send off a chain reaction of small explosions, which would destroy the backup power and more than likely harm us as well. These things are usually connected to a power circulator which keeps electricity flowing through the wire, but prevents it from reaching anything else."

"Do you think turning the power on would trigger whatever is down there? We were warned about something in the main power source."

"It's possible, but something bigger is probably at the main power center. Turning on a faulty power generator could bring about some devastating effects."

He contacted Adam again, giving him our new details. "We have a crew heading down to the main power generator now," Adam responded. "We won't turn the power on until we are certain that there is no potential threat. We can deal with the wire once the rest of the area is safe. We don't want to accidentally set it off with any Space Pirates in the area. Remain where you are until we get more details from the others."

Ian and Anthony were ready to keep guard at the door until we heard back from Adam again, but I couldn't bring myself to leave the grate. I wanted to know where the wire led. The eerie presence continued to disturb me.

I grabbed my gun and shot a quick blast into the grate. It made a soft clang, and I was able to remove it from the wall.

"What are you doing?" Anthony asked. "You could have set that wire off!"

"I'm going down the vent. If I can get that wire off, we can get the backup power on before the others even get to the power center. The cameras should show us if there are any Space Pirates about."

"Don't think of denying the Commander's orders. They'll probably get the power back soon enough."

"Who knows what you may find down there," Ian added in. "Or what would happen if you set it off while crawling down there."

"And what if that thing _is_ connected to the main power source, the others miss it, and it goes off when they turn it on?" I refuted. "I'm the only one that could fit through that grate anyway, so I know I'm going to have to stop it eventually. We might as well buy ourselves some time to help the others. Please, just give me a chance. I'll come back as soon as I can."

Anthony heaved a heavy sigh. "It's up to you," he told Ian, placing his plasma gun on his back.

Ian stared at the ground for a few moments before deciding, "If anything goes wrong, let us know immediately. I'll be at the computer waiting to boot it up."

Neither of them knew how truly thrilled his answer made me. I was getting my chance to prove myself. "Thank you," I told him. I leaned down next to the grate. It would be a tight fit. I tried to put my head through, but realized my helmet was a bit clunky and restricted too much of my view. I wanted to be able to see as much as I could around me, so I took it off and placed it down on the floor when the other two were looking at the computer. If the wire went off, it would be a mistake to leave my helmet behind, but it was a chance I was willing to take.

I tried to pull myself through the grate. It was tight, but I was able to get myself through on my stomach. It was certainly too small for Adam or Ian to able to fit through.

I was surrounded by a very narrow metal passageway, so I pulled myself through by crawling with my forearms. It was wearisome, hot, and hard to breath. The vent seemed to trail on for forever. A couple of times I bumped the wire and hid my face in my arms in fear of it going off, but it never did. The further I went on, the more cautious I got.

Finally, I saw some crates that covered where the exit was, but I could still see a bit around them. The room was poorly lit and kept mostly in shadows. Two Zebesian Space Pirates were sitting there.

I knew I was supposed to head back up and warn the others, but there were only two enemies. I could take them on. My thoughts of proving myself and even getting back for the destruction of K2L ran through my mind.

I fought to get my arm behind me to reach my gun in the holster of my suit. I finally got it and slowly brought it back in front of me. I remained flat on my stomach while watching them. If I was quick and silent, I could move the crates since I was hidden in the shadows.

They were a bit heavy, but I was able to push them out about a foot. It was just enough to let me pull myself from out of the other end of the grate and get onto my knees. I looked from behind the box, pointed my gun slowly at the closest Zebesian, and let it fire.

The Zebesian fell back with a cry, curling in at its stomach. The other one jumped up and charged towards me. I dodged out of the way right when it slashed the crate I was hiding behind with its pincher-like claws. Wood chips sprayed everywhere. I fired another shot, but it only hit its shoulder. It covered the wound with its arm in pain, but was not knocked down.

The first Zebesian had recovered and also started to run towards me, firing a shot of its own. I jumped up to miss it and kicked the Zebesian hard in the head. As I landed, I blasted one more shot into its chest. It toppled over and died. I had to duck another blow by the second one. I fired a second and a third shot at it, but it kept coming at me. I was backed into a wall and felt panic for only a moment when I decided to let shot after shot blast out of my gun, feeling a slight recoil in my hands each time I released the trigger. The creature was screeching in agony, but I refused to stop blasting it. Finally, it also fell to the ground dead.

I slowly pushed myself away from the wall and started to survey the area. I was a bit shaken, but physically fine. There didn't appear to be any other creatures – Space Pirates or not – in the area.

Ian's voice came over the comm. system. "You alright?" he asked. "What was all that noise?"

"Apparently there were a couple of Zebesian Space Pirates waiting for us the whole time. The area is all clear now."

"I should have known better than to let you go down there."

"Everything is fine now. I'm looking for the power circulator."

The crate the Zebesian had destroyed contained missiles. I wasn't sure if they belonged to the Space Pirates or the residents of Jigurad, but they were of little importance then. I opened the crate that wasn't damaged. Inside was the power circulator I was looking for. It was pure luck that the Zebesian didn't hit it.

"Ian, found it. Now how do I remove this thing?"

"It should have a small latch on the side. That'll stop the current from flowing through the wire and will allow you to detach it. It should be safe once you do so unless you blast it with your gun."

I removed it and pulled the end away from the circulator just in case. "Got it," I told him. "We should be able to boot the computers back up now."

"I'll give it a try." A few minutes passed before I heard his voice again. "Systems are up. Any trouble down there? I'm trying to see if I can get the cameras up too. We should be able to keep track of everyone if we do. Right, Anthony?"

"Sure thing. Gotta get them up so we can see that pretty face of yours, Princess."

"Well everything is fine down here," I said. "I see a corridor. I think I'm going to check it out."

"Be careful, Miss Aran," Ian replied.

There only appeared to be one corridor for me to continue down. It opened up into another large room. A gigantic structure stood in the center. I examined it closely. It had to be the main power generator for the entire planet, and the largest power bomb I had ever seen was replacing the area where an energy cell was supposed to be. The mixture of the power bomb and the power generator would certainly be enough to cause serious damage to the planet.

There were a row of clamps around the power center that could turn the power on and off. They were facing straight out. I didn't want to make a mistake in moving them the wrong way. I needed the other's help.

"Hey, Samus. We've got the cameras up. What've you found?"

"Can you take a look at the power center? I'm going to need some help with this."

"I'll contact Adam and let him know we got the computers up, then I can refer him to you it. You're going to have to explain the Space Pirates to him though."

I was a bit afraid to hear back from Adam. I didn't want to hear him angry about my rebellion against his orders, but he would more than likely be calm, which was even more menacing. I never found out his response. Only a couple of seconds after talking with Ian, I could hear a group of feet thudding down onto the ground. It wasn't the unit. I realized I had made a huge mistake by assuming there were only a couple of Space Pirates left in the area before checking the everything out. Several Zebesians rushed into the room.

"Miss Aran!" Ian called over the comm. system. "We've picked up on the Space Pirates. The rest of the unit is at the other door. They're gonna' blast their way through. Hang on!"

More Zebesians followed the first group. I pulled out my gun and started to shoot. I had killed off one when I felt a rumbling beneath my feet. I turned around to find myself in front of a large Space Pirate towering far above me with grotesque talon-like fingers and toes. I dodged out of the way as it swept in to get me. I hit into another Zebesian, knocking both of us to the ground. I pulled myself partly up as fast as I could and planted my gun into its throat before letting out another blast.

The more monsters I killed, the more flooded into the room to take the fallen's places. It was impossible for me to take them all down. I put myself into a situation I had no hope of getting out of on my own. I was starting to get very tired and sore.

One particular Zebesian was taunting me and grabbing my attention. I tried to strike at it, but it dodged my shots. I failed to see it was using itself as bait. I was ready to shoot at it again when from the very corner of my eye I could see the large Space Pirate lean forward and belt out a powerful blue blast from its mouth.

I instantly felt all the muscles in my back contract and I cringed as I dropped to the ground. The pain that consumed me was unbelievable, and I felt myself barely able to move. My back felt cold and throbbing, but I was determined to flip onto it to allow myself to get a clear shot at the large Space Pirate. It leaned over me, pulling its arm back to finish me off with a killing strike, but I couldn't find the strength to raise my gun. I thought my life was going to end.

Then I heard a loud series of explosions. Smoke flowed into the room. I could hear yelling and the blasts of guns. The large Space Pirate was knocked away from its stance by several Galactic Federation soldiers. I tried to pull myself up, but collapsed back onto the ground. I could feel my blood draining from my body, leaving me increasingly cold. My eyes started to flutter, but I couldn't keep them open. I saw Adam enter into the room when my eyes refused to open again.

* * *

**Chapter 3 Preview**

Samus wakes up to find herself back at the Galactic Federation Headquarters. She suffered a blow to the back, but is expected to completely recover. She has learned from her mistake, but she is not allowed to see anyone from her unit until she's discharged from the medical bay. Samus' Galactic Federation armor suit was destroyed by the Space Pirates, but she gets an unexpected visit from Old Bird, who has a better idea than repairing it.


	4. Chapter 3: The Zero Suit

**Author's Note**: This is the first fanfic I started, but it took a while to finish. I am completely done with the rough draft, so any delay in posting chapters is just from me finishing up the final draft. As you should all know, Metroid belongs to Nintendo, not me. PLEASE feel free to give me critique/comments. I love them because they help me grow as a writer. Hopefully someone will enjoy this, because I sure enjoyed writing it. :)

Sorry it took me a while to post this chapter. My great grandmother died, so I've had a lot to deal with. I'll try to get one more chapter up before November, but no guarantees. I am participating in nanowrimo next month, so I might not post much (if anything) then.

* * *

I felt a respirator mask on my face. My breaths were deep and slow, but steady. I tried to open my eyes, but the brightness surrounding me was blinding. Others were talking around me.

"She's coming around," someone said.

The respirator mask was taken off of me. Another minute or so passed before I tried opening my eyes again.

"Samus," a familiar voice said. "You must try to wake up."

The voice seemed old, but forceful. My heart skipped a beat at the thought of who it might belong to. I was able to pry my eyes open. Standing to the side of me was Old Bird. I found myself instantly sitting upright.

"Take it easy," he told me, chuckling. "It is good to see you finally come around. I was notified shortly after your incident. I came as soon as I could."

"What happened?" I asked him, then looked around at the others in the room. There was one woman and two men dressed in white lab coats.

"You received a blast in the back of your suit," the woman responded, presumably the head doctor. "The shot went through it and hit you only an inch away from your spinal cord. Thankfully, it did not go far. The suit seemed to do its job and protected you from most of it. Had things turned out only slightly differently, you might not be here now."

My last mission felt like a blurred memory. I could still feel the wound in my back. It felt somewhat like a knot.

"You have been out for fifteen days," she continued. "You have started to heal, but you are not ready for any missions in the near future. For now, we'll focus on rehabilitation here in quarantine."

My heart sank. I felt like had let my unit down. "Where is Commander Malkovich?" I asked them.

"He cannot come right now, but he wants to speak to you once you are released. We prefer to keep visiting to a minimum for the sake of the patient."

I turned back to Old Bird who looked at me with an almost pained smile. I wondered how he was notified about my injury or why he was even allowed to see me. "I'm sorry I acted irrationally," I whispered. I could only imagine the fear my wound had caused to those closest to me.

"Do you think you can walk, Samus?" the doctor asked.

I nodded. One of the men held out his hand for me to take. My first steps were a little uneasy, but I was able to make my way to the center of the room. They tested my basic movement abilities to make sure I was recovering properly. I was a bit sore in my arms and thighs, but the only thing that caused me pain was movement in my back or torso.

Thus began my time in rehabilitation. I did not see anyone outside of the doctors or Old Bird. My back was their main concern, but some of my muscles had also been injured and needed to heal. After a month, I was given permission to go back to my squad if Adam would permit. I would continue to go for checkups and was still barred from missions, but I could finally return to my own quarters. I was about to leave when Old Bird pulled me aside.

"Samus, now that you are well, I must let you know that I do not plan to stay much longer. You are starting to create a life of your own, and to do so, I must allow you to make your own decisions. But before I leave, there is something important that must be dealt with."

* * *

Old Bird brought me to another room. "Samus," he called. "You know you are a special girl. You not only carry the heart of a human, but the agility and strength of a Chozo."

I nodded, unsure of where his speech was going.

"I know you care about people, and I feel it is my duty to protect you so you can help them. You have so much potential. This is my main reason for coming here." He started to shuffle over towards a large counter. "When your Federation Police suit was destroyed, it was obvious that another would have to be built. While the Galactic Federation was planning to make one identical to your old one, I had a different idea. You are aware of the technology the Chozo Dryn created concerning armor and power suits. This technology is very powerful, but only works for those who carry Chozo blood."

"And I do?"

Old Bird nodded slyly. "I had plans of developing a suit for you when you expressed interest in joining the Galactic Federation, but after this incident, I felt compelled to finish it as soon as I could. It has just been finished. Come look."

I walked over to the counter. Lying out on it was not what I expected. It was a blue full body suit that did not seem to provide any protection at all.

"This suit has been specifically designed for your body. It will only respond to your will. Please, put it on and I will show you what it can do."

I took the suit and went to a bathroom to change. I looked at myself in the mirror. The suit hugged my body tightly, showing off my curves. It made me stand out, which made me a bit uncomfortable. The only details were pink designs on my hands and on my back. A center hexagon was placed exactly where I was shot. Other symbols radiated out of it.

"They activate the suit into your powered armor suit," Old Bird told me once I had rejoined him. "Your current suit does not provide you much in protection, but it is a sturdy material and allows for swift movement. It will also provide relief for your back, allowing you to be virtually uninhibited by your wound. You must learn to channel your energy to the spots on your back and your hands to activate it."

It would be a lie to say I got it on my first try, or even my second. On the third try, I saw a flash of yellow onto my arms before it dissipated. For most of the day, I worked at getting better at activating and deactivating the Power Suit. It took concentration, but Old Bird wanted it to be as automatic and natural as walking or speaking. The doctors were a bit uncomfortable with it at first, fearing I would hurt myself again, but Old Bird assured them I would be fine.

He only seemed concerned with activating the suit until I got it right, but I had to ask him about the obvious great weight on my right arm.

"A multipurpose cannon has been built into your arm to prevent having to carry multiple guns. It can fire beams, hold charges, and, when supplied, shoot missiles."

I gazed at awe at the piece of machinery. I found myself having to hold it with my other arm to keep it steady when I lifted it.

"You will eventually get used to the weight," he continued. "It should provide a much greater convenience. The suit itself is also many times stronger than your previous one. The helmet is also a nice piece of technology. If you wish, you can activate the screen on it, which provides a targeting monitor and your suit's weapons and damage stats. This is a fairly recent updated feature, but the kinks should be figured out."

I asked him to let me try it out, but he would not let me. "Be patient, Samus. You will learn in time. Be aware that you hold a great amount of power in this suit. Be sure not to abuse it."

I understood his concern and knew better than to pester him about it. By the end of the day, I was surprisingly exhausted.

"You have done well for your first day," Old Bird said with a gentle smile. "I will stay until you are done training, but I am sure there are others from your unit who are concerned about you. You should go back and let them know you are well."

I couldn't help but giving him a hug. "Thank you for all you have ever done for me," I told him, not helping but to give a large smile back.

"Samus," he told me. "I am so glad to know there is someone in this world like you."

* * *

**Chapter 4 Summary**

Samus is finally allowed to see her unit again. Adam requests to see her as soon as she is released, and Samus is unsure of how he will take her disobedience to his orders on Jigurad. As she continues her training with Old Bird, she wonders how long she can keep her new suit a secret.


	5. Chapter 4: Things Turn Around

**Author's Note**: This is the first fanfic I started, but it took a while to finish. I am completely done with the rough draft, so any delay in posting chapters is just from me finishing up the final draft. As you should all know, Metroid belongs to Nintendo, not me. PLEASE feel free to give me critique/comments. I love them because they help me grow as a writer. Hopefully someone will enjoy this, because I sure enjoyed writing it. :)

This chapter makes it seem like a huge romance is going to break out or something. It's **not**, so don't worry if that stuff bothers you. XD

I'm so sorry that I haven't posted anything in such a long time. NanoWrimo started strong, then… well, died, and life was hectic too. So I guess writing is my New Year's resolution (oh great, another thing to not complete). Happy 2011 everyone!

* * *

I had taken off the Zero Suit and had hidden it in my drawer. I still felt too embarrassed to let any of the other men see me in it. I put on a fresh pair of my green officer clothes instead. I may have lost a lot of my femininity with them, but if they would allow me to fit in, I would never wear the Zero Suit.

I was called to Adam's office almost immediately after I had gotten back to my dorm. My heart pounded more fiercely than the last time I was called there. I was afraid that this time, he would find me to be too reckless for the well-being of his unit.

As I walked through the door, Adam gave me an acknowledging nod. "It is good to see you are well, Samus," he told me. I also responded in a quick nod. "I am afraid we have much to talk about. Please feel free to take a seat." He waited for me to do so before he continued. "There has been much discussion about your actions on Jigurad. Disobeying orders can be potentially lethal to the rest of the crew on board."

"I understand that I acted irrationally," I told him.

"It has been suggested that you be dismissed from the Federation for the time being."

It felt as if my breathing had been restricted. I couldn't reply to him.

"It would be to protect both you and the others. However, your actions changed the outcome of the mission for the positive this time. I commend your bravery, Samus. I cannot expect myself to let you go when you helped save so many. However, I must request you do not try to pull off such a stunt again. If you are suspicious of something, be sure to communicate. We could have prevented even more with proper communication. Please understand that we will help you. You do not have to feel like you have to save the universe by yourself. That is why we work in groups."

I could not argue with Adam's words. I had acted foolishly, believing only I could do the job. I wouldn't be around if it weren't for the fact that the others arrived.

"I have been alerted about your health situation. While you continue to go through testing, I will also help you. I know all of this isn't easy for you. I can tell you have great potential. You just must learn how you can use it."

Adam's words caught me a bit off guard. He sounded like Old Bird. He seemed to understand where I was coming from, as if, perhaps, he had gone through a similar ordeal himself. I couldn't think of him as just my commander. He was more than that.

"What happened on Jigurad?" I asked him, allowing myself to change subjects.

"Most of the men arrived not a moment too soon it seems, and the final Space Pirates at the base were taken down. Anthony was able to shoot the one that attacked you with his plasma beam. You might want to talk to him or the others about it if you'd like a more detailed run-down. It was a close call with the Super Power Bomb. Our weapons technicians were able to disconnect it from the power center and replace it with an energy cell. We have properly disposed of the bomb since then. As for you, we took you back to the Galactic Federation hospital room as soon as we could. Your situation was critical," he paused for a moment before continuing. "I went back through your records and found out about your history with the Chozo. I immediately set out to contact them about your condition. I heard one came to visit you."

I nodded.

He smiled. "You're in good hands. For now, take it easy. We'll be waiting for you when you are well."

I sat still, trying to suppress my oncoming emotions. Adam cared about me and went to help me even though I had clearly disobeyed his orders. It was like forgiveness. It was like a father's love. "Commander," I managed to say softly. "Thank you."

* * *

Anthony found me when I was heading back to Old Bird the next day, hiding my Zero Suit in a case. "Hey, Princess," he called. I turned and watched him make his way over to me. "How are you feeling?"

"Almost normal," I told him. "Still a little back pain, but nothing extreme."

"Good to hear."

"Thanks for helping me back there," I said.

Anthony smiled. He knew exactly what I was talking about. "So the Commander told you that, eh? Well no problem, Princess. If you ever need help, let me know."

"Was Ian with you then?"

"Constantly," he replied, giving me an unnecessary suspicious look. "He helped bring you back onto the ship once we deactivated the bomb."

I had to thank him too, the next time I saw him. I had to thank all of them, even if we did not see eye to eye.

* * *

My training with Old Bird went well. I was learning not only how to control the Power Suit, but to improve upon many of my other skills. We spent most of the time in a Galactic Federation simulation area. Initially, my shooting ability with the cannon on my arm was sloppy. I struggled to keep my arm steady and fire an accurate beam at the same time. I thought my skills with a regular handgun were pretty good before, but I soon learned that the cannon contained much more potential and accuracy.

Old Bird decided to face me off against simulated Zebesians, for which I could not help but realize he was trying to help me get over my fear of them from what happened at K-2L. If I was to be a great fighter, I would have to learn to either overcome my fears or suppress them.

I also learned that the suit boosted all of my natural abilities. I was able to jump, climb, and move with incredible agility. I had an enhanced ability to perceive things from the targeting computer built into my screen. It was like I had the potential to become a one-man, or rather one-woman, army.

The rest of my unit went on a couple of missions without me. During that time, we moved to the Galactic Federation Training Grounds. I got even more experience with terrain and my morph ball feature, which allowed me to encase myself in the suit's shell and let me get through tight passageways. It might be childish, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The feeling of flipping head over toes in a rolling motion twice as fast as normal was exciting. I could have stayed that way all day. I realized maybe I didn't have to grow up as fast as I thought I had too.

* * *

It was day after my unit's latest mission that I found myself completely exhausted after training and decided I would change out of my Zero Suit once I got back to my dorm. As I made my way down one of the full window-walled corridors, I heard someone call for me.

"Miss Aran!" I was afraid to know who it was. At first, I thought it was Adam, but then I knew better. It was someone I wanted to see me in my suit even less.

Ian was coming at me from the opposite direction, carrying a Galactic Federation Police suit helmet under his arms.

"Miss Aran," he called again. He noticed my Zero Suit, and I had instantly turned myself partly away to hide my embarrassment.

"You're back from the mission already?" I asked him, not turning back to face him.

"…Yes, we got back not too long ago. I just changed and then remembered I had to give this back to you."

He held out the helmet to me. "You left it back on your last mission," he explained.

I turned to him slightly to take the helmet from his hands and I held it close to hide myself better. I stared at it to keep myself from looking awkwardly at him. I didn't know why I was having such a hard time talking to him. Even though I was completely covered, my Zero Suit made me feel completely exposed.

"Well, I wanted to make sure you were doing fine," he said. "I felt a bit guilty about letting you go one by yourself on the mission. But you seem good, so I guess I should go now and…"

"Wait," I interrupted, my face turning red. "I wanted to say thank you. Thanks for returning my helmet, and I heard from Anthony that you helped me out last mission, and thank you for standing up for me when I first joined this unit." I was particularly smooth like ice when talking, but he wasn't either.

I looked back over to him. He was smiling. "Hey, that's what we're supposed to do – help people out, right? It was nothing."

"You were the only one to say anything when I was being picked on."

"They're all just jealous," he laughed. "They don't like to know there's a younger woman who can kick their a$$. It wasn't supposed to be personal, but we can act in some weird ways." He scratched the back of his head. "So, you're doing alright now, right kid?"

I nodded, looking back to my dark blue helmet. "I should be rejoining the unit soon," I told him. "The doctors wanted to keep a check up on me to make sure I was back to normal in my health before then."

"You had us all worried then."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's all in the past now, right? You're fine now. Smile."

I tried, but I felt more embarrassed and buried my face onto the top of the helmet. Ian seemed to notice exactly what I did. "Didn't mean to get you all embarrassed now," he laughed. "Look, I know I've already said this before, but I should probably go now."

I was partly relieved. "Thanks again for the helmet."

"No problem. See you soon at training, right? Is that your new suit?"

I nodded, but I probably looked dumbstruck when I did.

"It looks good on you. It brings out your eyes."

I unconsciously reached my hand up to touch right under my eye.

"See yah, Miss Aran," he said, as he continued to head on.

I couldn't help but smile at him.

****

Chapter 5 Preview

Samus finally rejoins her unit. While a bit awkward at first, Samus' best days at the Galactic Federation are under way. But all know it was not meant to last…

Yah, it's a lame preview summary, but I'm not totally sure what it'll all include yet. I know all her problems won't come up for another couple of chapters though.


	6. Poem

Sorry that I've kind of neglected this story for so long. This is just a short and kinda lame little poem to say I'm still here and will keep uploading. :)

* * *

For decades, not a word passed your lips.

You were silent. An enigma.

You seemed to control the world,

And yet you were too weak to speak.

A suit that hides who you are.

If you wear something different,

It makes you more vulnerable –

Both physically and emotionally.

What made you this way?

Did you lose someone you loved?

Why hide your face all the time?

Doesn't the world see you as strong?

Do you not defy the expectations of your gender?

What happened behind that concealed face

Hidden by green?


End file.
